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Dads and partners get support to take some time with their baby
by bianca williams
Dad and Partner Pay is a new entitlement under the Paid Parental Leave scheme for eligible working parents (including adopting parents and same-sex partners). It provides up to two weeks of government-funded pay at the rate of the National Minimum Wage (currently about $606 a week before tax) to give dads or partners a chance to stay home from work and bond with their baby, support their partner, and give their baby the best start in life. “Dad and Partner Pay takes away the financial burden of lost wages and allows more time for me to
Daniel, a Worrorra man from Derby, and Ainsley, a Walmajarri woman from Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, want to spend as much time with their new babies. Image supplied
help Ainsley around the house and with the babies,” said Daniel. “It is important for me to be able to spend time at home during the first few weeks of the babies’ birth. It gives me and the girls time to bond so they know who I am as well as allows time for Ainsley to have a rest and for us as a family to adjust to having two new babies in the house.” Daniel encourages other dads who are expectant or new dads to find out if they can get Dad and Partner Pay. Full-time, part-time, casual, seasonal, self-employed or
contract workers may be eligible. The payment can be taken any time between when the baby is born and the child’s first birthday. “I’m happy that we come across Dad and Partner Pay and Daniel is eligible,” Ainsley says. “It can certainly make a difference to our family.” To find out more about Dad and Partner Pay including who is eligible and how to apply, go to http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/ dadandpartnerpay/indigenous or call the Indigenous hotline on 136 380.
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